Outreach and Marketing - Landing Page Content - GSA Identity Proofing Equity Study

Landing Page
The landing page is built to adhere to the US Web Design System. When the study launches,
identityequitystudy.gsa.gov will route to the landing page.

Tabs

Home [tab] has the main call to action along with some high-level language on participation
steps and process.
FAQs [tab] answers questions on important topics:
- Identity Proofing & The Study
- Participation Requirements
- Study Details and Troubleshooting
- Data Privacy
- Compensation
Contact Us [tab] lists important email addresses
Landing Page Footer contains links required on all GSA pages as well as the About the Study,
Rules of Use, and the Privacy Act Statement

Home [tab]
The screenshot below is a draft showing the home page. Though the overall structure will stay
the same, (hero callout, navigation tabs, header, and footer) the home page design will be
provided by Rekrewt using images and text from the social media content library and the “home
page” document.
The content and images are provided by Rekrewt and will leverage the social media images and
text library.
Landing Page - Homepage (1 of 4)

Landing Page - Homepage (2 of 4)

Landing Page - Homepage (3 of 4)

Landing Page - Homepage (4 of 4)

These questions are also in the the FAQ tab

Learn More (on home tab)

Why is GSA doing this study?
What is remote identity proofing?
What do I need to participate in the study?
What is a valid ID?
Why do I need to provide my Social Security Number (SSN)?
Why are you asking for my skin tone?
Will I be compensated for participating in the study?
How do I claim my compensation?
I’d like to learn more
See the “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)” section or “Contact Us” for more information
about the study, participation requirements, data privacy, and compensation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) [tab]
Identity Proofing & The Study
1. Why is GSA doing this study?
GSA is committed to combating bias. This research study will help us make sure
government websites work for everyone.
To improve outreach practices, user testing, and user experience for underserved
communities in civic tech design, we’re studying the equity of remote identity-proofing
technologies that the American public may interact with when accessing eligible
government services and benefits.
GSA plans to release a report with the results from the study in a peer-reviewed
publication in 2024. The report will present a statistical analysis of the performance of
proofing checks and explore the causes behind any negative or inconclusive results.
Once the report is published on GSA.gov, GSA will use the results to inform
requirements for future procurements and studies.
2. What is remote identity proofing?
Identity proofing is the process of verifying that an individual is who they say they are.
Government agencies, financial institutions, and other organizations often require some
type of “proof” before granting you access to their services. This is typically done by
asking you for documentation such as a driver’s license, a passport, or your social
security number.
Traditionally, organizations would take a hard copy of these items while in your presence
and a person would physically attest that your documents actually belong to you. These
processes help organizations catch people who may be pretending to be you.
Remote identity proofing uses modern technology to streamline this process. In this
study, identity-proofing software will try to determine if two images of you belong to the
same person. One image will be captured from a government-issued identification that
has a picture of you on it, the other from a picture you take of yourself (a “selfie”). GSA
will also verify the information you provide (i.e. social security number, address, phone
number, etc.) and compare it to other documents to ensure that it also matches.

Participation Requirements
1. Who is eligible to participate in study?
U.S. residents 18 years and older with a valid government-issued identity document are
eligible to register for the study.
2. Why wasn’t I selected to participate?
You may be ineligible to participate if:
- you are under 18 years of age
- you do not agree to the terms and conditions of the study.
- you chose “prefer not to answer” in the required demographic questions
- the study has already reached the necessary number of participants from specific
demographics.
3. What do I need to participate in the study?
You will need:
● a mobile phone with a camera feature;
● a phone plan associated with your name (it cannot be a virtual phone number like
Google Voice, VOIP, etc.);
● a valid government-issued identity document; and
● your Social Security Number (SSN)
4. What if I don’t have a government issued identification document (ID)?
The systems and methods for remote identity proofing require an ID so without one you
will not be able to participate.
5. What is a valid ID?
A valid ID is an unexpired government-issued identification card with a photo.
At this time, only the following IDs are accepted:
● Driver’s licenses from the 50 states, the District of Columbia (DC), and other US
territories (Guam, US Virgin Islands, Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico)
● Non-driver’s license state-issued ID card: This is an identity document issued by
the state, the District of Columbia (DC), or US territory that asserts identity but
does not give driving privileges.
Notes:
- Paper or temporary IDs are not accepted.
- A worn or damaged picture may prevent the identity verification process from
working.
6. What if my current address is different from the address on my ID?

Your address is verified against consumer records which typically include both current
and previous addresses. If needed, you will be able to update your address during the
study.
7. Why do I need to provide my Social Security Number (SSN)?
Your SSN is used to verify your name, date of birth, and address against different
records such as credit history reports.
8. Why do I need to provide my phone number?
Your phone number is used to look up your phone account information and verify that
the name and address provided by the telephone carrier matches the information you
provided.
Note: You need to provide a U.S. based phone number. You may use either a land-line
or a mobile number. You cannot use a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone
number (ie. Google Voice).

Study Details and Troubleshooting

How much time do I need to complete the study?
Generally, the study should take 15 to 45 minutes.

How does the study work?
1. First, register for the study. As part of registration, you will be expected to:
●
●
●

Review the Rules of Use & Privacy Act Statement, and accept the terms and
conditions.
Provide your first and last name and email address.
You will then receive an email from identityequitystudy@research.gsa.gov with a
link to proceed with the study.

2. When you click on the link provided in the email, you will be directed to complete a
demographic survey to determine whether you are eligible to participate. If so, you will
be directed to proceed with the proofing process. If you are not eligible to participate,
you will be notified and the information you provided up till then will be deleted.
3. If you are eligible for the study, you will need to provide the following information:
● A valid government-issued identification (e.g., driver’s license, state ID)
● Your Social Security Number (SSN)
● Your phone number

4. During this study, you will walk through these steps for identity proofing:
●

Document Authentication: You will capture images of your government issued
identification document (ID) and a selfie. Because you are testing FIVE different
authentication systems, you will be asked to take a picture of your ID, and take a
selfie, FIVE TIMES (once for each system). The pictures of your ID will check for
fraud-prevention markings like holograms, as well as the expiration date and
barcode. The selfies help ensure that you are the same person that is pictured on
your ID.

●

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Validation: - You will provide your
phone number and SSN and confirm your first and last name, date of birth, and
address. These items will be used to validate your personal information against
consumer records like credit history and your phone account record.

●

Device Risk Check: The website scans your mobile device’s features and
capabilities.

●

Security Code Check: You will receive and confirm a security code on your
device (by phone call or text message).

5. You will be directed to fill a short Exit Survey that is mandatory for study completion.
6. You will receive an email with details regarding compensation.

Why do I have to submit my information, e.g., selfie, picture of my identity document
multiple times?
GSA is testing different systems that compare your selfie to your government ID picture.
These systems also try to prove that you are a real person. To do this, the systems
analyze the process of taking the picture to ensure that you’re not a robot. Each system
needs you to actually take the photos, instead of just reusing existing photos.

Why aren’t my pictures working?
Pictures of your government-issued ID: During this study, you will be asked for at
least five pictures of the front and back of your government-issued identification. Some
of the ID verification tools will take the pictures automatically, and for others, you will
have to take the picture yourself. The following tips will help you take better pictures:
● Use a solid, dark background
● Show the edges of the ID in the photo
● Take a clear photo without shadows, glares, reflections or blur
● Check that barcodes are not damaged or dirty
● Take the photo in a well lit area with indirect light

●

Turn off the flash on the camera

Selfies: You will also be asked for at least five selfies. Again, some of these will be taken
automatically, and for others, you will have to take the picture yourself. The following tips will
help you take better pictures:
● Use a solid background. For example, avoid standing in front of a television if it’s
turned on, because of the moving images in the background. However, if you turn
the TV off, the solid dark background will likely work well
● Look straight at the camera
● Take the photo in a well-lit area with indirect light
● Turn off the flash on the camera

Why are you asking for my skin tone?
Research on facial verification systems has shown that results can vary significantly
depending on a person’s skin tone. Although you are not required to provide your skin
tone to complete the study, this information will help GSA better understand the
challenges to equitable performance of facial verification algorithms.
See the following for more information:
- Gender Shades: Intersectional Phenotypic and Demographic Evaluation of Face
Datasets and Gender Classifiers (Buolamwini, 2017) [PDF, 116 Pages]
-

Face Recognition Vendor Test - Part 3: Demographic Effects (NIST, 2019) [PDF,
82 Pages]

-

Reliability and Validity of Image-Based and Self-Reported Skin Phenotype
Metrics (Howard et al 2021)

-

A Comprehensive Study on Face Recognition Biases Beyond Demographics
(Terhörst et al., 2022)

Can I participate in the study if I use a screen reader or other assistive technologies?
GSA recognizes that the “Equity Study on Remote Identity Proofing'' may not be
accessible to all potential participants with disabilities because it requires participants to
take photographs of their government-issued ID as well as a live “selfie” or headshot
using functionality that may not be native to their device. GSA is investigating other
remote identity proofing solutions that are designed to be more accessible and still
compliant with the requirements in National Institutes of Standards and Technology
(NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-63.

Data Privacy
1. What information are you collecting from me?
- Photo of your government-issued ID
- Photo of your face
- Social Security Number
- Address
- Phone Number
- Demographic Information:
- Ethnicity
- Race
- Gender
- Age
- Household Income
- Education
- Skin Tone (self-reported, optional)
Refer to How to Participate for more details
2. How are you protecting my information?
GSA has contracts with multiple vendors contracted to perform identity proofing services
for this study. GSA performs stringent data security and privacy reviews on each vendor
to ensure that your data is only used for this research study. These vendors will collect,
process, and transmit identity-proofing data and results to GSA. Your information will
then be deleted from the vendors’ systems within 24 hours of transmission to GSA.
After transmission from the vendors, your data is stored using secure GSA systems.
These systems also undergo strict internal data and privacy reviews. Only a restricted
set of GSA personnel will be able to access your information should it be required.
Please read the study’s Privacy Act Statement and Privacy Impact Assessment for more
details on how your data is collected, used, and secured.
3. What will you do with the information that I provided during the study?
The results of your test will be used to assess the impact of demographic factors on the
identity-proofing software’s ability to successfully pass or fail an individual. These results
will be aggregated, analyzed, and published in an academic journal. All information in
the public report will be de-identified: your name, address, and other personal
information will not be shared.
GSA will store your data according to the retention schedule for Customer Research and
Reporting Records and any other applicable federal records schedules; this requires that
certain records related to research studies be destroyed 6 years after the end of the
fiscal year in which the information was collected.

4. What happens to my information if I start the study but do not complete it?
If you do not complete the study, your information will be deleted and not included in the
study findings.
5. Am I required to include a redacted image in the publication? What is a redacted image?
You are not required to provide your redacted image for the publication. It is optional. A
redacted image is an image with sensitive information blacked out.
See example:

Compensation
1. Will I be compensated for participating in the study?
Participants who complete all study steps will receive a $25 gift card.
2. I just completed the study. How do I claim my compensation?
You the following emails after completing the study:
a. A confirmation email from identityequitystudy@research.gsa.gov.
b. An email from rewards@reward.tremendous.com with instructions on how to
claim your $25 gift card.
Please check your junk or spam folders. If you do not receive these messages or have
any trouble with the compensation please contact Rekrewt (gsa-support@rekrewt.com),
GSA’s recruitment partner with any questions about compensation.

Contact Us [tab]
Participation: Didn't receive the registration email?
Contact identityequitystudy@research.gsa.gov
Compensation: Didn’t receive your gift card?
Contact Rekrewt (gsa-support@rekrewt.com), GSA’s recruitment partner for support.
Press inquiries:
Contact press@gsa.gov
Privacy Questions:
Contact GSA.privacyact@gsa.gov

Landing Page Footer
Proposing two part footer:

Equity Study Specific links (Note: links will need to be updated for production environment
version of landing page):
- About the Study
- Rules of Use
- Privacy Act Statement
- Privacy Impact Assessment
- Contact Us [repeated in navigation tabs]
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) [repeated in navigation tabs]
General GSA links (see black footer example below):
- Website Policies | GSA
- Accessibility Statement

- No FEAR Act

- Office of the Inspector General
- FOIA Requests
- Board of Contract Appeals
- Rep orts

About the Study
The Equity Study on Remote Identity Proofing is administered by the U.S. General Services
Administration (GSA) and the participating identity-proofing vendors. This study will help assess
the impacts of facial verification technology across demographic groups and vulnerable
populations, which will inform the agency’s strategy and policy related to these types of
technologies. GSA is working to ensure we have 4,000 participants from varied demographic
backgrounds. GSA aims to understand how to improve the way we prove people’s identities
remotely. Help shape the future of government technology. Join our study!

Rules of Use
See

Identity Equity Study - Consent, Privacy Act, and Rules of Use

Privacy Act Statement
See

Identity Equity Study - Consent, Privacy Act, and Rules of Use

Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)
This will link to GSA’s PIA page. See
DRAFT - Identity Proofing Equity Study Privacy Impact Assessment PIA for content